So this is another oneshot that actually takes place during The Promise, part 1- right after the festival where Aang made his promise and the Earth King announced the Harmony Restoration Movement. It contains the discussion that a lot of us wanted to see, but never got to (Aang and Katara talk about their feelings and stuff). I wanted to explore the more vulnerable side of Katara. Hope you like!
SPOILERS FOR THE PROMISE PART 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender
"Are you going to be all right?" Aang turned at the sound of Katara's voice. The rest of their group turned to look at her. Zuko's promise had hung over all of them that evening and none of them had dared to bring it up. Aang simply gestured for Katara to come with him.
"Watch yourselves." Sokka joked to lighten the mood. "I'll still be able to feel the oogies from a distance." He ignored the glare his sister shot him and turned to Toph for conversation. Katara followed Aang, a tension hanging between the two of them as they entered his bedroom. Aang plopped down onto his bed while Katara remained standing.
"I'm sorry I egged you on to make that promise." Katara confessed. "I know how hard it must have been for you. But I also know that you can see what Zuko's saying. I know it's hardest to make a difficult choice when it's the right one." Aang nodded.
"Wow. I must be pretty transparent to you." He gave a nervous laugh and smile. Katara smiled back.
"Only sometimes." There was a pregnant pause. Even before Zuko's promise there had been so much to talk about between the two of them.
"Katara?" Aang looked up, meeting her eyes.
"Yes?" Katara blushed. How is it that she never noticed how intense his gaze can be? Aang twiddled this thumbs.
"What did that...on the balcony, what did that mean, exactly?" A blush began to light up his features as well. "I mean...I didn't really get the sense that there was any...confusion..." his words trailed off. Katara fought down the impulse to turn away and sat next to him on the bed.
"Aang...now that I look back on it, I don't think I was confused. I think...I think I was scared of losing you and...and what I feel for you." Aang looked up at her in surprise. "I mean...it was just so overwhelming to realize just how much..." She groaned in frustration. "I'm terrible at this, aren't I?" She opened her mouth to take another whack at it.
"Katara, wait." Aang stifled her words with a finger to her lips. "I don't want you to say anything that will make you even more confused or scared or whatever that was. I...I really care about you and I don't want our relationship to become too complicated."
"Aang... I need to say something for me. I need you to know because...because no matter how
weird this gets, I need you to know how I feel about you. You...you deserve to know." Katara took a deep breath. "Let me start from the beginning." She took a minute to collect her thoughts, eyes glancing nervously around the room. Aang had never seen her like this before. "Okay, so...the Cave of Two Lovers. I...I realized that I...wanted you to kiss me." She confessed. Aang raised an eyebrow in pleasant surprise.
"Really?" He asked. Katara nodded, looking down.
"That was the first time I really saw you as something more than a friend, that's why I brought it up. And when you did kiss me...I liked it. I was content to move forward, but I wanted it to be natural so I didn't do anything big. Just an extra hug here and there, just slowly push things in the right direction, you know?"
"That's kind of what I was doing too. Like, when you and Toph left for that party and I told you you looked beautiful...you looked thrilled. You didn't seem like...like you were confused." Aang concluded. Katara winced.
"Um, can I just get through explaining this part?" She asked. Aang mentally slapped himself. He shouldn't be pushing her again, he had learned his lesson since Ember Island. He wanted to show her that.
"I'm sorry, go ahead." He held out a hand as a cue for her to continue, his grey eyes looking as intense as ever. Katara nodded and took another breath. This was Aang, her best friend. She didn't need to feel so worried as long as she explained. And she HAD TO explain. No more running back into the theatre or insisting on firebending practice.
"So then, when you were leaving for the Eastern Air Temple, and you had something to tell me...I knew what it was I wanted you to say, and you looked so discouraged when Sokka interrupted that I kissed you to, you know, just...give you another nudge. Let you know that I was on the same page. I knew that I cared about you and...I was taking it slow, having a good time." Aang nodded. "Aang, when Azula shot you everything changed. When I lost you..." Katara began to choke up and Aang put an arm around her shoulder for reassurance. "I knew..." She took a deep breath and looked directly into Aang's eyes. "Aang, I love you. I...I love you so much, and when I almost lost you I realized how much. And, at the invasion you showed me that you cared for me too. I just...there wasn't going to be any spirit water after the war. If I had lost you forever I don't know what I would have done, but I couldn't afford to think about that. I had to be strong for you and fight with you. I had to work on ending the war." For the first time in his life Aang felt like the air had been knocked out of him completely. Katara...loved him.
"Katara, I don't just care for you. I love you too." He assured her, looking directly into her eyes. "It was wrong for me to pressure you at Ember Island, but...when I went to the Eastern Air Temple and began to unlock my chakra Guru Pathik helped me realize that the love I had for my people was reborn in you. You are my family and my best friend. When I kissed you the night of the play I was trying to help you clear up your confusion because...if I didn't come back, I wanted you to know that." Katara wrapped her arms around him and began to cry.
"I just...I should have told you what you meant to me. I didn't know the extent of your feelings and I couldn't think about you not coming back. I wouldn't have been able to function if I did." Aang stroked her back lovingly.
"Katara...all that matters is that you told me now." Aang drew back and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I love you. And we have time." Katara began to breathe more evenly.
"We have time." She repeated, and captured his lips with hers. They kissed again and again, holding each other and realizing that the other really was there, really was kissing them, and really did love them. Now, they had time. And that was all that mattered.
Aaaand cue terribly cheesy ending! Well, I think my Kataang craving is satisfied for the time being, but if it stirkes again I may write more! Please, please, PLEASE REVIEW. Thanks, and I hope you all enjoyed the fic!